rantz by lantz

I typed out a whole post - a touchy feely smarmy number about suicide today. Why, you ask? Because...

Tue, 07 May 2013 17:31:03 -0500

I typed out a whole post - a touchy feely smarmy number about suicide today. Why, you ask? Because one year ago today, I was hurtling my car down the 101 and into the middle of San Francisco to help navigate the crazy, surreal and devastating landscape that suicide leaves behind.

I deleted said post, because …. well, I don’t know why. But in my first post back in the Tumblrsphere in seven months, I just want you all to know - short and sweet - there is help, there is hope. And if you need help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK. Don’t leave someone else to have to blindly steer through the path of sudden loss.

Call someone, call anyone if you need assistance. You - and your life - are worth it.

timekiller-s: motherjones: This — called a “seriously ugly and...

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:14:55 -0500

timekiller-s:

motherjones:

This — called a “seriously ugly and false anti-Obama ad” by one reporter — is running in newspapers in four battleground states. It’s funded by the “Government Is Not God” PAC. Never heard of them? Allow us to introduce you.

Click over to read the article at MoJo.

This is not really related, but still fits here kind of since it involves newspapers and propaganda:

The Oklahoman ran an insert called “Obama: The Man Behind the Image” in its Sunday editions this past weekend that was a tabloid from the Washington Examiner (which, like The Oklahoman, is owned by right-wing activist Phil Anschutz) which, while perhaps not quite as extreme as the above GINGPAC advert, did repeat many of the memes and untruths in the right-wing infosphere related to President Obama. Some readers complained (judging by Disqus comments, which ARE NOT a good barometer, generally speaking) that it was passed off as “news” and not “opinion” or “editorial.” What it was was pure right-wing propaganda designed to denigrate President Obama.

What I can’t figure out is why Anschutz would go ahead and put such an insert in a newspaper in a well-established Red state. It isn’t like Oklahoma is a battleground state, like Ohio or Florida. Also, The Oklahoman is widely circulated throughout the state, and its Sunday editions the most circulated of all, which guaranteed an audience for this little piece of crap: Obama Derangement Syndrome Porn, if you will, to get an already right-wing base riled up even more.

One other thing: The Oklahoman’s editorials have taken on a much nastier tone towards President Obama, and towards liberals and Democrats in general, in the year or so since Anschutz took control of the paper from the Gaylord Family.

Stay classy, election mongers.

Dear Prague ...

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:37:00 -0500

I am so disgusted that you would withhold your valedictorian’s diploma from her because she said the word “hell” instead of the pre-approved “heck” in her speech.

National linkage | Local linkage

First, your mascot is a damn Red Devil. Where exactly does he live??

Second, I get that you’re in the Bible Belt and all, but you’ve got to be shitting me. Do you expel people for cursing? Is saying hell outlawed a la dancing in Elmore City, Okla., pre-1980? [Yes. The town that loosely inspired Footloose was also an Okie thing.] How about movies, books, magazines, sermons, other chatter with cursing in it? Banned in your town? I’m guessing not.

Thirdly, do you know the definition of your pre-approved “heck” as it were? Mirriam-Webster defines it as …. ready? …. hell. So…. the inference is fine, just not the actual word?

Fourth, have you ever fucking heard of the first amendment? You know, the free speech part? Juuuuust checking.

Also, let’s think about this contextually. And really, in the context of “how the hell do I know” what I want do do when I grow up, I would say there are a lot of us that have that very thought on the regular. She didn’t tell you to “go to Hell.” Maybe then I’d at least see some sort of minute point on this and your request for an apology. Maybe. But no.

And you just told her about this diploma denial last week for a speech made in May? A week before the 4.0 student is slated to start college as she came to the office to pick up said diploma? For the word hell? Which apparently no one seemed bothered by but the school powers that be? Screw you.

This is utter bullshit. And by my blatant, obvious and very much intentional pottymouthedness, you bet your ass I’m glad I didn’t go to school in Prague. Oh yeah…and while we’re talking about your town name…you say it wrong. Way wrong.

And to you, Kaitlin Nootbaar - good for you for not apologizing. And good luck in college.

"Rape is rape. And the idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape..."

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 21:56:36 -0500

““Rape is rape. And the idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape we are talking about doesn’t make sense to the American people and certainly doesn’t make sense to me. So what I think these comments do underscore is why we shouldn’t have a bunch of politicians, a majority of whom are men, making health care decisions on behalf of women.””

- - President Obama (via puckchk)

Mark this down as one reason why I will not be voting for any politicians who try to control MY anatomy.

"Gabby represented our country at the Olympic games and won the highest honor in her sport, all..."

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:08:50 -0500

“Gabby represented our country at the Olympic games and won the highest honor in her sport, all before her 17th birthday, and we’re focusing on edges.
Is our culture really that superficial and mean? Gabby shouldn’t have to worry about edges that might frizz up as she competes on the world stage and brings home first place. Her priority isn’t the hair salon; it’s living out her dreams, which she has done successfully. How many of her hair critics can say that?”

- From Really? Gabby Douglas Wins A Gold Medal and People Are Criticizing Her Hair? via Vibe.

Dear Haters: Seriously? Just stop. Now.

Ridiculous.

When I was young, I wanted to be like Sally K. Ride. I wanted to...

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 23:40:00 -0500

When I was young, I wanted to be like Sally K. Ride. I wanted to blast into outer space and use the robotic arm to deploy a satellite or be on the end of the robotic arm as a spacewalker.

So much so, that I - along with the world - wept for days when the Challenger exploded with two females aboard for the first time. So much so, that I fulfilled one of my dreams to go to Space Camp when I was in sixth grade, where my assigned job was a payload specialist performing science experiments and deploying satellites in our simulated mission.

So much so, that when I was in college, I used to tell people I wanted to be a singing astronaut (just ask my sorority sister who mocked the hell out of me). So much so, that even today when I look up at the moon and stars I still dream of being up there in the heavens.

While I’m no astronaut, I did follow in Sally Ride’s footsteps on some level. Through her pioneering role as the first American woman in space she encouraged and inspired me to be first, to be inquisitive, to be a dreamer, to be a school nerd, to be a stargazer.

Rest in peace, Ms. Ride. Thank you for shining bright in the night sky as you zoomed around out space. Thank you for prompting young girls to dream big. Thank you for being a trailblazer and an inspiration.

"An FBI report states that it is well known among truck drivers that if you want good barbecue, go to Kansas City, and if you want young girls, go to Oklahoma City."; "in the United States, Oklahoma is ranked No. 2 in teen pregnancies and homeless children, No. 3 in divorce and No. 4 in women murdered by their husbands. The state is ranked No. 46 in per capita income, No. 49 in education and is considered the third hardest place in North America for a girl to grow up. These factors create a vulnerable population for human trafficking and other crimes."

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 22:07:46 -0500

"An FBI report states that it is well known among truck drivers that if you want good barbecue, go to Kansas City, and if you want young girls, go to Oklahoma City."; "in the United States, Oklahoma is ranked No. 2 in teen pregnancies and homeless children, No. 3 in divorce and No. 4 in women murdered by their husbands. The state is ranked No. 46 in per capita income, No. 49 in education and is considered the third hardest place in North America for a girl to grow up. These factors create a vulnerable population for human trafficking and other crimes.":

Sigh.

motherjones: shortformblog: Presenting the coolest food truck...

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 01:08:42 -0500

motherjones:

shortformblog:

Presenting the coolest food truck we have ever seen. Former baseball scout Jon Darsky had to ditch the food truck-standard step-van in favor of a Caterpillar truck when designing Del Popolo — his 33,000 pound wood-burning brick pizza oven on wheels. Now, he can be found roaming the streets of San Francisco, serving pizza prepared the way it was meant to be! Want to grab a slice? Keep up with Darsky’s current whereabouts on Twitter or Facebook.

Whoa.

I want to find this food truck!

Escape Last month, as I awoke startled to the phone vibrating...

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:33:30 -0500

Escape

Last month, as I awoke startled to the phone vibrating under my pillow I heard words I never anticipated. Through sobs and barely coherent, my aunt’s shaky voice pleaded with me to come right away.

Jason killed himself.

Jason escaped his earthly haunts by removing himself from his earthly body. As the minutes, hours, days, weeks pass by I process - sometimes by doing, sometimes by reflecting - on my life, on his life, on everyone’s life and choice to live.

As I process, as I grieve, I implore all who are contemplating this very act - there is help. There is hope. Make the call. Find an alternative escape, one rung of the ladder at a time.

1-800-273-TALK
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

"It’s hard to believe I could feel any worse about the horrific situation at Penn State and the..."

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 23:19:49 -0500

“It’s hard to believe I could feel any worse about the horrific situation at Penn State and the allegations against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. But when the trial opened yesterday, to my dismay, matters became even more personal.”

- Jerry Sandusky trial: I wish I’d paid more attention to one young man’s pain - Hard Hits with LaVar Arrington - The Washington Post (via tballardbrown)

Sportswriters gone bad: racism & sexism FTW

Sat, 05 May 2012 00:13:23 -0500

< jessrant >

Dear sports people in the media that seem think your position entitles you to be pompous, racist, sexist, arrogant, jerkoffs -

I don’t like you. I don’t like to read your stuff. And you are most definitely not as cool as you think you are.

This week, I’ve seen at least two cases of utter ridiculousness. The first involved a twitter buddy of mine and a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, Joe Cowley. Cowley made an ass of himself all over the twitters, in the name of “satire” (or so I’ve heard). Sir. You need to look up the definition of satire if you think that’s what you’re doing. Cuz…..

At least Cowley’s tweets did not go through the editorial process. But apparently, some editors are ok with things like racism, right New York Post?

Today, Phil Mushnack’s column on the Brooklyn Nets went so far and beyond that I’ll just let some of his words speak for themselves.

Why the Brooklyn Nets when they can be the New York N———s? The cheerleaders could be the Brooklyn B——hes or Hoes. Team logo? A 9 mm with hollow-tip shell casings strewn beneath. Wanna be Jay-Z hip? Then go all the way!

That’s really what you want to write about the Nets and their new black & white unis designed by co-owner Jay-Z (which I happened to dig, fwiw)? Ummmm…you sir, are out of touch. And ridiculous. And disgusting. And to the editors that let this column through untouched, how the h—- does that happen??

I had a recent conversation about the fact that some men in sports media (both mainstream and in the blogosphere) have started to seemingly take the entitled stance that this type of work is edgy or hip or just plain funny and totally acceptable.

Well if this is your take on your wordsmithing, you’ve most certainly lost my respect. And you’ve lost at least this pair of eyes on your work.

< / rant >

npr: What American Women Do For Work Forty years ago, only one...

Thu, 03 May 2012 17:40:51 -0500

npr:

What American Women Do For Work

Forty years ago, only one in three American workers a woman. Today, it’s one in two. What jobs did all those women get? And how did gender breakdowns change by industry? -Lam Thuy Vo

(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics | Credit: Lam Thuy Vo / NPR)

stufficareabout: Rachel Maddow Calls Out Alex Castellanos...

Tue, 01 May 2012 04:01:00 -0500

stufficareabout:

Rachel Maddow Calls Out Alex Castellanos Misogyny On Meet The Press.

I honestly didn’t believe there was a debate about *whether* women make less than men for equal work.Kudos to Rachel Maddow for handing this situation with such grace and…well… facts; there’s a good chance I would’ve lost my composure in that conversation.

I would have clocked him.

puckchk: Never Forget 4/19/95

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:19:45 -0500

puckchk:

Never Forget 4/19/95

Monterey Bay Aquarium :)

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:27:00 -0500

Monterey Bay Aquarium :)

siphotos: Pat Summit is carried off the court by members of the...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:20:03 -0500

siphotos:

Pat Summit is carried off the court by members of the US Women’s Basketball team after defeating South Korea in the 1984 gold medal game. Summit, who also won a silver medal as a player, announced today that she is stepping aside as Tennessee women’s basketball coach. (Peter Read Miller/SI)

GALLERY: Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year (Summit and Coach K)

"“We want women to make choices, that’s why on healthcare we want women to have health savings..."

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:32:53 -0500

“

“We want women to make choices, that’s why on healthcare we want women to have health savings accounts and the ability to be able to make their own choices in healthcare. You see, that’s the lie that happens under Obamacare,” Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said on “Meet the Press” today.

“The President of the United States effectively becomes a healthcare dictator. Women don’t need anyone to tell them what to do on healthcare. We want women to have their own choices, their own money, that way they can make their own choices for the future of their own bodies,” the former presidential candidate said.

”

- - Michele Bachmann, among the most pro-life candidates of any in this election cycle, on Meet the Press (via stufficareabout)

Oops! Did she forget her own VERY pro-life platform? Lulz. Thanks for seeing the light, Ms. Bachmann.

"You will see the worst of people and the best of people in this story..."

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:57:30 -0500

"You will see the worst of people and the best of people in this story...":

Major kudos to SMU’s Monika Korra for taking back her life. For standing her ground. For surviving. For overcoming. For not being silent.

For running.

Dave Zirin: Jackie Robinson, Trayvon Martin and the Sad History of Sanford, Florida

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:44:36 -0500

Dave Zirin: Jackie Robinson, Trayvon Martin and the Sad History of Sanford, Florida:

timekiller-s:

This is Zirin’s blog post from March 23, but relevant on the 65th Anniversary of Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s colour barrier:

As Jean West, a school teacher in Florida, wrote, “Branch Rickey had miscalculated the degree to which Jim Crow was entrenched in Sanford. As an example, an inanimate object, a second-hand piano, purchased in 1924 from the courthouse for use in a segregated school in nearby Oviedo, was filed as a ‘Negro Piano’ in the school board’s record; living human beings challenging segregation certainly would not be tolerated.”
It wasn’t. The mayor of Sanford was confronted by what the author describes as a “large group of white residents” who “demanded that Robinson…be run out of town.”

The Mayor caved. On March 5th, the Royals were informed that they would not be permitted to take the field as an integrated group. Rickey was concerned for Robinson’s life and sent him to stay in Daytona Beach. His daughter, Sharon Robinson, remembered, “The Robinsons were run out of Sanford, Florida, with threats of violence.”

…

The team then took an extraordinary step. As the late tennis star Arthur Ashe wrote in A Hard Road to Glory, Rickey, ”moved the entire Dodger pre-season camp from Sanford, Florida, to Daytona Beach due to the oppressive conditions of Sanford.” That sounds heroic and it speaks well for Rickey’s fierce desire to forge ahead with “the Great Experiment,” racists be damned. But the mob in Sanford had made, at least for the moment, a successful stand. In cites and small towns across the South, Jackie Robinson’s mere presence provoked challenges to power and provoked real, meaningful change. In Sanford, change did not come that easily.

Read more …

npr: A 9-year-old boy who built an elaborate cardboard arcade...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:35:50 -0500

npr:

A 9-year-old boy who built an elaborate cardboard arcade inside his dad’s used auto parts store is about to have the best day of his life.

—————-

This is fantastic. My faith in humanity is restored. — Tanya

This is so great! I wanna play at Caine’s!